Day 3 (by Rich E)

Well we left the beautiful Clare valley (and finding a bin of older Tim Adams wines) and headed north to Port Augusta to get around to the Eyre Peninsula. What really strikes you about these towns (Port Pirie, Port Augusta, Whyalla) is that they are so industrial and not particularly aesthetic (i.e. I would not want to live there). These areas are also not exactly blessed with much rainfall with most of the scenery being either salty mudflats, red scrub desert hopefully planted with salt bush, or grey wheat crops waiting for the winter rain before the hopeful farmers try again. One analysis reported that the Eyre Peninsula has the greatest climate change signal of any agricultural region in Australia; this was certainly obvious when you see where they have previously attempted to grow grains, where it is almost just a red sandy desert.

Yesterday it really came home for the first time that this is the start of 3 months of travel – I really struggled with the possible lack of intellectual stimulation driving all those long hours. So I got onto a few science shows on the internet last night and loaded a bunch of science podcasts onto my iPhone and spent the day listening to issues from micro-insurance  (remember micro-finance?), to carbon dating, cloning, latest in genetics research and solar panels for satellites. Sad puppy cannot let the mind wander for a few minutes (the mind is a muscle and needs as much exercise as the body you know).

Port Lincoln was a breath of fresh air. Major grain and fishing export town, but also really geared for tourists. We saw the strangest urban planning here with the new elite waterfront developments facing directly onto the fishing fleets (I mean 50 m across their exclusive mariner canals). The best view they will get is the butt cracks of the fishermen when they return and unload their catch (apart from the fact that these fishing vessels leave and arrive at times when I am sure these wealthy dwellers are trying to sleep!).

We found a great caravan park here, sped out to the local fish co-op and bough some local prawns and whiting for dinner, then headed out for a run – Kim on the bicycle and me on the runners. Found a great path around the rocks, across town, sneaked in a long hill before Kim could object – not too far but at least 5 km run to offset all the wine, custard and sitting sedentary in the car all day.

Tomorrow we able up the coast towards Streaky bay (don’t worry – too prude to try anything) then Ceduna and the Nullarbor plains early next week.